Huntsville gazette., 1887-05-14
ERiCSSON'S DESTROYER.
Description of the Iron-Clad and Its Pow
erful Submarine Gun.

Description of the IrOn-Clad and Its Pow
erful Submarine Gun.
Outwardiy the Destroyer is simply an
unarmored iron-clad vessel with
wedge-shaped bow and stern. 1t is
briefly described by the inventor as
follows: The Destroyer is an iron
vessel 130 feet long, II feet wide, II
feet deep, protected by wrought iron
breast work of great strength applied
near the bow. The submarine gun, a
formidable piece of ordinance of 16-inch
caliber and 80 feet length, is placed on
the bottom of the vessel, the muzzle
projecting through the opening in the
stem. The projectile expelled by the
submarine gun is 25 feet long, its
weight being 1,500 pounds, including
an explosive charge of 500 pounds of
gun-cotton The Destroyer attacks
bows on, and discharges the projectile
at distance Of 800 feet from the ship
attacked, The explosion of 300pounds
of gun-cotton against the lower part
of ships hull will shatter it so COM
pletely that the expedient of employ
ing water-tight compartments will be
of no avail. 1t may be added, for the
clearer comprehension of those not ex
perts, that the water is prevented from
rushing through the gun into the bilge
by an out-board valve, opened and
closed automatically. The body of the
torpedo is of wood. shaped like huge
cigar. The point or dynamite end is
made of copper. The initial velocity
with which the torpedo leaves the gun is
at the rate of 250 miles an hour, or 250
feet a second. With minimum charge
of powder in the gun the projectile trav-
ersed the first 800 feet in three
seconds. In the experiments made
by naval board two years ago,
common cord nettings were used
to determine whether there was
really any trajectory in the travel of
the torpedo. At firing distances of
250 feet the course of the torpedo
through the water was in perfectly
straight line. The tide currents had
no effect on the course Of the torpedo,
T
travelled through the water. The tor
pedo is exploded by concussion, and is
calculated to strike vessel at any
point below the water-line. The ma
chinery of the vessel occupies space
less than eight feet square, and is en-
tirely below the water-line and below
the intermediate deck, so that it is inn
possible for the boat to become dis
abled from the shots of the enemy.
An important feature in the construc-
curved deck, extending from stem to
stern, and composed Of plate iron
strongly ribbed and perfectly water
tight. This intermediate deck sustains
heavy, solid armor plate, placed
transversely to the line of the keel
thirty-two feet from the bow, inclined
to an angle Of forty-tive degrees, and
supported on the after side by 4 wood
backing four and half feet deep at
the base. The steering-wheel is behind
this wood backing. A deck cabin
seventy feet long above this interme-
dlate deck affords quarters for the Off
GERS and crews. The helmsman occu-
pies pit in the forward end, from
which he not only steers the vessel
but discharges the gun by an electric
battery upon signal. He watches the
vessels course and the position of the
enemy through small port-hole of
heavy plate glass, and is protected by
wrought-iron invulnerable armor plate
sixteen inches in thickness. Toledo
Blade.